3 Steps To Take After Experiencing Damage To Your Teeth From A Car Accident
Being involved in a major car accident cannot only destroy your vehicle and leave you with injuries, but it can also cause damage to your teeth. If extreme trauma from a car accident left you with damaged teeth, you should make sure you ask for compensation to get the work done that is needed to fix these teeth. Here are three steps you should take to help get the compensation you need for getting all your damaged teeth fixed after a car accident.
Step 1: Let A Cosmetic Dentist Examine Your Teeth
The first thing you should do after you have treated your injuries is to schedule an appointment with a cosmetic dentist. When you do this, you may want to bring copies of your most recent x-rays from your primary dentist with you. The cosmetic dentist can compare these x-rays to the current condition of your mouth to determine the exact damage that was caused by the car accident.
This consultation appointment will be necessary for several reasons, including:
- To determine the damage done to your teeth – Accidents can cause teeth to fracture, chip, or fall out. This typically happens from the extreme trauma that occurs from sudden impact.
- To create a plan to fix the damaged teeth – This appointment will also be used to determine a plan for fixing all the teeth that were damaged from the accident. The plan will include the exact work that will be needed, as well as an estimate of the number of appointments you will need to get everything completed.
- To calculate an estimate of costs – Dental work can be expensive, especially if you need to have teeth replaced. This estimate will be important though, because you will need it when you ask for compensation.
Once this is complete, the dentist may talk with you about your options for fixing the teeth, because there are typically several ways to fix teeth that are damaged.
Step 2: Choose The Best Methods
As the dentist discusses your options, it will be important for you to choose the methods that will provide the best results. For example, if the accident caused a tooth to fall out, the dentist may suggest replacing it with a dental implant or a dental bridge. Dental implants are more expensive to get, but they are also better. They last longer than bridges, and they feel more like natural teeth. In this situation, you would probably want to choose a dental implant, especially because you should receive compensation from the accident to pay for it.
Another choice you may have with the work you need involves fixing teeth that are cracked or chipped. There are several ways cosmetic dentists can fix teeth with problems like this, including dental bonding and porcelain veneers. Bonding tends to work fine for fixing minor problems; however, porcelain veneers will typically look nicer and last longer.
Step 3: Give This Information To Your Insurance Company
After you get the examination and make the necessary decisions about the work you will need, you should give this information to the insurance company handling your case, or the lawyer you hired to represent you.
If the damage to your teeth occurred from the car accident you were involved in, you should be able to receive compensation to cover all the costs related to fixing the teeth.
Cosmetic dental work is common after people are involved in accidents, and it can help a person regain the same smile he or she had before the accident occurred. If you need dental work because of a car accident, contact a cosmetic dentist in your area, such as David Jackson, DDS, today to schedule an appointment.